


Drowned Out

by WeedMan



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: AU, Fluff, M/M, Merlance, Natural Disaster, One Shot, Romance, Tags Are Hard, They are my cute children, Tired Shiro, Tooth Rotting Fluff, Water world AU, radiation, shance, unintentional communist government
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 12:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14308839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeedMan/pseuds/WeedMan
Summary: First It rained. It rained and rained and rained until the end of time. It was years until the world saw the sun again, and by then the world was covered in water. The only dry land left were man made island. As does the tenacity of humans, few survived the long time disaster.Humans were rebuilding the world, atleast from Shiro’s view, the real humans. Outside the large island was an abyss of blue sea. He never went past the barrier boundary, for he heard that the outside world was filled with toxic nuclear waste that destroyed the bodies of those who were unfortunate enough to not make it to the island.Everyone had been told that outside the people were no longer human. Their skin flayed to scales or fins, their legs fused to make swimming and surviving possible, and most of all they were carnivores. It wasn’t as if they were completely all bad right? After all, they were the ones that struck up a deal to supply those on land safe food.Atleast, Shiro hopes they weren’t bad.He could only hope when he saw a curious gaze peeking from the surface of the ocean.





	Drowned Out

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy not another one. This story idea has been running through my mind for the longest time so I wanted to just get it out of my system.
> 
> IM DYING I JUST REALIZED I MADE THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNISTIC UNINTENTIONALLY AND I JUST??? I SWEAR I'M NOT CONSPIRING-
> 
> I googled “can fishes eat oranges” and turns out they can but WHATEVER they are my new species ;D.
> 
> Wow it’s flooding in my area... how ironic-
> 
> THANK YOU MY BABES AUNT AND KEY FOR BETA/EDITING THIS :D AS ALWAYS I LOVE YOU GUYS <3

“Cargo number twelve?”

“Loaded, sir!” 

“Next shift is starting! Get moving cadet!” 

“Yes sir!” Shiro shouted out. 

Shiro quickly sprinted towards the locker rooms, his round the clock job was finished for the day and now he had to hurry home. Shiro’s job was a simply one. Shiro had to count the inventory and distribute the amount of food supplies that were handed to every inhabitant of the island. He took up the fruit that came from the ocean in bulk, checking to see disfigurements or poisons that may dropped from them. After he checked them all he stuffed them in bags, a certain amount of fruit or nuts to each bag. 

Despite Shiro's everyday job, he had never seen the suppliers of the bundled food. He knew they came from wet bags. He knew that it came from those who lurked in the abyss beyond the border and made a deal with the inhabitants. Shiro only heard of the deal that humans had made with those of the ocean, but it had been many generations since the beginning of those times and he most likely wouldn’t have known if he didn’t do this specific line of work. 

Stories of dangerous, radiated, carnivorous, and sickly looking monsters swimming about surrounding the island was more closer to what children and unknowing adults thought of reality. Little did they know that their food came from the hands of those radiated. As Shiro walked out from warehouse, his eyes squinted to adjust to the blaring bright sun. The ocean beyond him was a deep dark blue, reflecting white blinding sun and small insects that skid across the surface. It was hard to believe that the waters could melt skin if one so much as touched it. Shiro’s instinctual desire was to dip his achingly dry skin in the waters, but the fenced barbed wire with warning signs plaster everywhere reminded him of the dangers. 

According to the stories of the past, there used to be a more balanced amount of land to water ratio on the planet. There were fields of green endless to the eye, trees that shed leaves when temperature changed, flowers that grew without purpose but for beauty, and over millions of different animal species. But… now it was like this. Endless rain, flooding, every life came to a halt as water filled animals lungs, humans lungs, drowned Mother Nature like a large blanket, and never stopped til the end of time. 

When the rain did stop, the evidence of humans impact on the land was proven. The man made islands stood afloat, a limited amount of space however compared to the amount of people who had somehow survived the catastrophic event. Shiro’s great grandparents were one of the hundreds that were able to flee to a large man made island. They had situated before so called nuclear plants were destroyed, polluting the water and quickly making it toxic and radiated. While Shiro wasn’t sure what nuclear plants were, he knew they were made by humans, and were extremely dangerous. 

Maybe that’s why Shiro had such a fear of the deep water. The numerous rumors of what came and rested in the waters left chills down his spine. And lately Shiro could feel something raking up his back. The eyes from the water. Shiro tucked away his anxiety with his work clothes into his duffel bag. He had to get home before Keith, his brother, came back from his own job, and grab their rations from the square where they usually handed them out. Shiro silently exhilarated that he was not on handing out provisions duty. They had much longer shifts and there were a multitude of people who would scream that their rations were disproportionate and thieves that tried to grab an extra bag despite the numerous guards. 

Shiro quickened his pace to the square, knowing he should arrive as early as he could. When he got there there was a line of around fifteen people already. Many were mainly men, as they were the ones who usually could carry the bags, and stood yawning or leaning on a wall. Shiro lined up, waiting patiently as the workers searched their lists for the correct names to mark off. Once the first fifteen were out of the way, the workers handed Shiro three bags. Each contained a mix array of vegetables, fruit, grain, containers of water, and little containers of meat.

Shiro heaved the tied bags home, not too far off of the border not too far from the city. He managed by his small perfectly square house. It was a unit home, the most common home for those who worked on the island. Many were stacked on eachother and placed side by side, the walls were thin and there was no sense of privacy; at least if he had any when he lives with Keith. He opened the door, opening up to the mix of kitchen, living room, and bedroom. He could only be thankful that the bathroom at least had a wall to cover the tub and toilet as he set the bags on the table. 

He set off to his monthly routine. He set the meat in freezer first, counting out the mass of each, he put the grains in the left drawer, the fruits in a basket on the counter, the water on their side, and the vegetables in the fridge. He made a simple meal, having to count how many potatoes they could use each day and brushed his teeth then went to bed. It was a regular routine, one that nearly everyone on the island did.

****

“Cargo fifty four!”

“...”

“Fifty four!”

“Loaded! It’s loaded sir!” Shiro nearly shouted as he woke up with a fright. 

Shiro found himself unable to sleep properly for the last week. It wasn’t as if anything environmentally around him changed. Everyday he cooked two meals for Keith and himself, he went to work and then he went to bed. The only change in his routine was the monthly routine of getting food, but otherwise Shiro simply couldn’t get his eyes to stay closed nor his head to stay down on his pillow. 

“Shirogane, have you made the list for amounts of hide and meats?”

“Yes sir, two hundred and forty hides, and three thousand and sixty pounds of mixed meat.” 

“All checked?”

“All in the cargo to the southeast island.”

“Good. Provisions go out tomorrow, make your way home, Shirogane.”

*****

There was something oddly strange about making a mistake. That one small mess up could affect how one lived, or even affect a whole family. At least, if one person counted as a “whole family” but even then it didn’t make a difference now. Shiro’s stomach growled. He messed up the counting. He didn’t mess up the meats, of all thing he messed the hide and once he went to the square, they told him of his mistake and cut off half of his provisions. Shiro was outraged, not at the workers nor the government, but at himself for making such a simple mistake he never had done before. 

He found himself lying to Keith, saying he ate already or that he was not hungry. Anything to make Keith look the other way as Shiro hid the fact that there was only enough for one person for a whole month. After Shiro’s mistake, he intensely focused on his job more and more. Finding himself double checking the numbers and rereading the lists until his eyes were dry. After work instead of going straight home, Shiro found himself aimlessly walking. Lost in blank thoughts as he found himself faced once again with a sight he viewed for the last week. 

The sight of the sun through the barbed wire. The broken barbed wire. It was a place that was quickly abandoned when water crashed against the side of the island, drowning and bending the plastic to form a slope to the island. It corroded the iron of the wires and left a hole for those who were dumb enough to leave. Why was Shiro here? His eyes scanned the waters horizon, nothing but the blue of water and the reflection of a blinding sun just like his usual day. But something felt off. His stomach was buzzing and his thoughts were crowded with the sight of water and the thought of diving in. He had no true sense of purpose to stay on the island other than providing for Keith. But even then Shiro couldn't help the nagging feeling that there was more out in the ocean than returning to a ghost family member he hadn’t seen in nearly a year.

Shiro stepped past the wire. Approaching the slope and the foam that drifted softly back and forth like a trance with a calm wave. It was water. No different than the one stored in bottles here. When he stuck his hand in he felt the cold water inflict his hands, he tore his hand away. Gazing down to see the crystal clear water drip from the creases of his hands. Cold. Shiro laughed, were the stories true that this water was contaminated? Either way, he couldn’t bring himself to step a foot in the water. Only allowing the water to ripple at the tip of his toes. 

Shiro sat silently. In all of his life he never realized he had never watched the sunset before. And now he watched the blue sky turn a dirty orange yellow and black. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go attend his duties and go back to bed, get sleep to continue his job, but yet the tranquility was already making him tired. A tired he hadn’t felt in years. His stomach was empty, but his head was filled with thoughts. So many that it weighed him down. Shiro faint as he rested his head on burned plastic. He wanted to sleep. 

**

“... are you okay,” a voice called out, “Oh- oh jeez… he moved!” 

Something smells sweet. It was the same odor that came from the peels of citrus fruit and honey, but yet Shiro knew in his mind there was no such thing in the crispy sea salt air of the radiated ocean. His eyes immediately tore open, his eyes still blurry with dry crust as he bolted sitting upright on the slope. His nose tried to detect where the sweet smell was coming from, not realizing a voice was talking to him.

“Uh… hello!”

The fruit was right there. It had not been peeled yet but yet was still pungent. It smelled so good Shiro was ready to eat it skin and all. Shiro reached out, not ever successfully grabbing the orange before he collapsed again. 

“Oh for the love of- come on! I just met you! Don’t go dying on some stranger! Here!”

Shiro wasn’t sure what was happening, other than that he was probably starving out and unfortunately he was going to get dragged into the ocean and eaten. That was, until his lips were met with something cold, the cold was enough to get Shiro upright again, the cold fruit was on his lips and tasted sweeter than anything he ever tasted in his life. He chewed delightfully slow on the single piece, accepting it and savoring it as if a gift from the gods. 

“You don’t have to suck on the piece like that. There’s more orange you know?” 

Shiro had finally begun to register the noise that had been going on for awhile now. It was a voice, one that mocked him in a playful tone and but yet was soft, and calm in nature. It beat rhythmically with the waves that splashed along his feet. Shiro’s eyes finally focused as he was taken aback. Before him was the ones he had heard the tales of. The carnivorous man eating monsters of the deep. One with wet chestnut brown locks that miraculously were only dripping with water, instead of being drenched, blue eyes so pure he wasn’t sure if it was the ocean he was looking at first, and tan skin flaked with freckles. The face flickered, smiling wide. Shiro was wide eyed, the man before him had a row of teeth. Sharp like daggers, each and every one of them. 

Despite the immediate danger, Shiro could only be baffled as he continued to study the man. His legs… he had none. They were replaced by a scaly tail, blue shimmering gems for scales as it flipped back and forth as if to convey… curiosity? The man had fins along his arms and gills on the side of his neck, which confused Shiro, for it was half way out of the water.

“You…”

“Yes, me, the person who is saving your life. Eat up. I swear it isn’t poisonous. Though I don’t think your other option of dying out is going to settle with me,”

The man shoved a now peeled orange to Shiro. His claws had only grazed the confused man’s hand as the man retreated as if it was feeding an animal. 

“My claws aren’t poisoned either! I know how you humans are about that! It’s safe to eat!” The man called out. 

Shiro was dumbfounded, but found his fingers holding up the orange, perfectly cut pieces and shoving them in his mouth. To hell if it was poisonous, Shiro had nothing else to lose at this point. Not caring for the liquids that drenched the bottom of his chin as he chewed, nor the excited face that watched him eat. He scarfed down the last piece, licking the juices from his fingers and remnants that trailed down his arm. The face watching him was now gleeful, scarily so. 

“I… thank you. Thank you for the food.” Shiro said, not sure of what else to say as he was left speechless by the helping hand from someone he had never expected to see in his life. 

“No problem! Not like we can eat those anyways. I don’t know how you humans do it. It’s so acidic and it burns our throats! Oh but the peel is fine,”

So that’s what the thing had been chewing lightly on. 

“So who are you? Some suicidal maniac or just a starving man?” The thing asked.

“My name is Shirogane Takashi, but I usually get called Shiro.”

“Shiro it is then! What brings you down to my waters?”

His waters? 

“I-I don’t know. I was at work and then… next thing I remember I was waking here to the smell of fruit.”

“Glad to bring you back from a comatose then. Oh yeah- I forgot! You may call me Lance!”

Shiro wasn’t sure what to do with the information, he was sure he wouldn’t see this man again, but something inside of him was hopeful and would remember to keep this memory of meeting someone of the deep. 

“Lance, why did you help me?”

“Because it’s morally right? Someone is dying, you try and help them! Simple as that!”

“But you would waste your resources on me?” Shiro asked, still confused.

“We Merpeople can’t eat those fruits. They just cultivate on the seaweed everywhere. Might as well give them to someone who needs them.” 

“Merpeople?”

“Yeah, it’s like the title of humans for you guys. We have our own species down here, obviously. It isn’t just me.” 

He had a point. It dawned on Shiro that he didn’t know much at all, other than the stories and his own job. Never did he research about the people, tried to make contact, nor even heard a word outside about them. But now that he saw one in the flesh… it gave him a new perspective. One he hoped wouldn’t lend himself to become fish food. 

“I…” Shiro tried to begin, but his thoughts immediately died out as he couldn’t get his thoughts in a proper working order. 

“Are you still hungry? I can get more!” Lance said proudly, flipping his tail energetically in the water. 

“I… I shouldn’t take it.”

“Hey you ate the first one! I swear they aren’t radiate!” 

“No. It’s not that- it’s just… that means I would be lowering the amount in the cargo if you guys don’t have enough in your end of the deal.” 

“The cargo? Oh, you mean that. We made that deal to feed all of you, you know? So why are you here by the water starving? Going out for a skinny dip to turn yourself into a monster?”

“No I- I told you already.” 

“I know. I’m teasing, there’s nobody in the world as hot as you in these depths.” Lance smirked, with a wink. 

“I…” was he getting hit on by a fish?

“Don’t sweat the details. There’s fruit that we do waste because we can’t eat the insides. We can share it together!”

“No! It’s okay! You don’t have to!” Shiro shouted, refusing the merman.

“Please? I don’t get to eat with my family anymore so I’ve been lonely.” Lance said, flashing his vibrant blues with eyes wide, almost teary but Shiro wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just water. 

“I…”

“Alright, I’m taking that as a yes! Stay here, okay?”

With a wet splash, Shiro was left dumbfounded. Staring at the ripples of water that quickly faded into the surface waves, Shiro waited. He hadn’t noticed when the sky got so dark. He was sure Keith would be worried, but either way it wasn’t as if he was skimping out of work.

“I’m back,” Lance cried out, in hand were fruits of different varieties. There were oranges, lemons, grapes, and another Shiro hadn’t seen before. “I wanted to bring other fruits like watermelon or grapefruit but I couldn’t fit them all. Hope you like these!” 

Lance unloaded his hands, the fruits were bouncing, floating on the surface as Lance pushed them towards the dry land. 

“W-which one is that one?” Shiro pointed at the unknown reddish fruit.

“A pomegranate? It’s a fruit that is apparently sweet. I think it has seeds? Either way I haven’t tried it so I can’t really say… but the peel is sweet! Which one do you want to eat first?” 

“Oh- I,” Shiro paused, for he didn’t expect this outcome, nor the determination of this merman to eat fruit with a strange man he just met, “the pomegranate.” 

“Oh boy desserts first for me!” Lance took the pomegranate from the pile, wiping it off with his dry skin which Shiro guess was hydrophobic. 

Lance split the fruit with his claws, precise as he made the detachment of fruit to skin. He handed the fruit to Shiro, who took the strange red and pulpy mass. Lance began to immediately bite and rip the peel, chewing the coarse textured peel as if it were the best thing on earth. 

“Do… do you not eat meat?” Shiro asked, or more subconsciously let out his own question rather than seriously thinking before speaking. 

“Of course I do. There’s fish, there’s sharks, there’s octopus, wait is octopus meat? Either way, we eat just like you guys. Except for fruit. The insides are nasty...” Lance paused, “wait... did you think I was going to eat you!?” Lance shouted, hurt.

“I... That’s how most people view Merpeople.”

“Why! Sure in the past we looked more disgusting with skin strips for scales but still! We aren’t going to eat something that looks exactly like us!”

“Believe me, I don’t expect you too... atleast I hope not.”

“You better!”

Shiro was surprised, and while he figured Lance may not eat humans due to his odd behavior so far, he thought Lance may simply be hiding his true intentions. Shiro took up the lump of wet pulp, not sure on how to approach the new food. He bit down on the red fruit, it bursted instantly in his mouth. Red juices flowed everywhere and landed on his clothes, skin, and some even landed on Lance. Shiro chewed, the seeds didn’t affect anything as he swallowed the sweet tart taste. 

Lance recoiled from the spray area. Only swimming a few inches away however, for he didn’t seem to want to leave Shiro alone. Lance wiped at his skin, washing the citrus off. Shiro hadn’t had such a sweet fruit. The cluster that would burst with such a nondescript flavor, it was new to Shiro. Lance happily chewed on the peel, almost lightly as he watched Shiro from afar. 

“Is there something wrong?” Shiro asked between bites.

“No, just, weird how you guys can eat that. It’s kinda cute, but terrifying, obviously.” Lance said, eating the last of the peel. 

“I would say seeing you eating that peel with such sharp teeth is also pretty terrifying, but cute.”

“To be fair everyone should have sharp teeth, they just get the job done better. Though it hurts when we bite through our lips. Took me two days to recover from that.” 

Lance showed a small scar were his teeth punctured a hole in the side of his own mouth in which Shiro proclaimed loudly on its feature. It was a small incision already healed over with a light patch off his right cheek. It wouldn’t had looked any different than if he got scratched by a rock.

“Hey, it’s not as big as your scar on your nose. What happened there? Get in a scuffle with a metal shark?”

“Metal shark? No, I… I was around fifteen when a cargo fell cleanly on my head after a technical malfunction. The circuits lifting it in the air snapped and the corner fell directly across my face. I was lucky to only be a recruit that only took care of small imports.” 

Lance didn’t look horrified, more of a worried pitied look was stretched across his face with eyes casted downward as he prodded at another fruit. “Did it hurt?”

“Yeah, hospitalized for four days.” 

“Does it still hurt?”

“No, it’s been years. I’m alright now, you don’t have to worry.”

Lance still didn’t smile back at Shiro’s attempt to get him off the subject. The silence was drawn but Shiro tried to focus on the sound of the waves instead. Shiro licked his fingers, nearly washing his hands in the water subconsciously.

“Hey, don't!” Lance screeched as he pulled Shiro’s wrist up from the water. “Just because I gave you fruit from here doesn’t mean it’s safe still,”

Shiro puzzlingly pulled his arms back to his sides, questioning why Lance would be so vigilante to keep Shiro from the water. It hadn’t done any harm to his feet, nor had it hurt him yet.

“It’s dangerous to ingest. You know, accidentally putting it in your mouth! Especially with your lungs and skin. You aren’t built for these waters.” Lance warned.

“I… I guess so.” 

After Lance warned Shiro, Lance peeled the other forgotten fruits one by one and handed them to Shiro to eat. They all tasted good. Some were sour, sweet, but most importantly they were all filling. While they ate Shiro couldn't help but stare at Lance. His tan skin was reflected golden as the sun was setting and his eyes filled with glee shimmered against the waters as he stuffed his cheeks full of the peel. Never did Shiro expect he would ever be eating with a merperson, nor even be this close to the waters. Shiro graciously thanked Lance, who waved it off as a beneficial exchange to begin with. 

“I wanted someone to eat with and lo and behold there was a person who decided to beach themselves. You can almost say you’re a blessing from the surface.”

Shiro’s eyes went wide, he had never been talked of in such high regard, nor expected eating fruits would attain him such a title. 

“No, I really wasn’t. I just ate some of your food, even if it was the parts you didn’t like the eat. Are you unable to eat alone?” 

This time is was Lance’s time to be at a loss for words, or perhaps in his case trying to make an excuse.

“I- no, I can! It’s just… my family is large. I grew old enough to go off on my own, but I miss the feeling of eating all together. Or I guess eating with someone at all. It’s a natural instinct to eat with another harmless person, because if you eat facing each other more than likely if there is a shark behind one of the two, someone will spot it.” Lance explained, his tail kicking up a fuss in the water. 

“I doubt a shark would be around this area. The military has the premise guarded. I’m not even sure how you made it in.” Shiro said, not believing the shark story but instead really seeing that he may have just missed social interaction. 

“They can’t hurt me anyways! It’s part of the deal made some three hundred years ago? I’m not violating any laws so they’re not allowed to harm me.” 

Shiro wished he studied more about that one law, though he wasn’t sure there was even paper books about it left intact fully.

“I see. So, you’re scared to just eat alone?”

“W-what! No! I’m not!” Lance said flusteredly.

“That’s… honestly kind of cute.”

Lance bursted in a bumbling mess, his tail flickered like a flame and his head was buried in his own hands. Shiro couldn't help but find that even more adorable, even though Lances teeth were bare with a rather threatening hiss. Shiro could only stare as Lance unraveled his hands, his blush still flaking his skin. 

“I… fine! I am scared okay! The ocean is big and because I’m not a guppy anymore so I can’t stay in the pack.”

“It’s okay, Lance, I wasn’t going to make fun of you. I just wanted to really know why you decided to help me of all people.”

“Because… because I was curious. People looked fun. Legs and all. They’re so bendy. And I… I saw you everyday when you went to that warehouse. You just wore the same thing everyday, did the same thing everyday, and then went back. If I was crazy I would think time was looping. I wondered how your hair went white in the front like a fluff, and how you could stand that loud man’s voice yelling numbers.” 

That made Shiro laugh, while the thought of Lance watching him everyday without his own knowing was off putting, he figured it was like watching the same dandelions grow outside the warehouses concrete. Shiro bent his leg, immediately Lances attention was caught as he heard the crack of bones. Lance looked at Shiro, pleading as Shiro just motioned to let him do whatever he pleased. Lance poked at Shiro’s skin, first lightly with his talon and then moved closer to pat it with the pad of his fingers. The slimy feeling of Lances fingers were also a new experience, they were cold and wet and slid easily along Shiro’s skin. Shiro began to speak as Lance continue his prodding at the places where his ligatures and bones were placed. Shiro shivered as the cold fingers fluttered from place to place.

“I’m not sure how you work down there, but my work is to always go there and count the number of fruits, meats, whatever you guys bring from the water to the land. I have to count or else they will cut off all my food supply, clothes supply, nearly anything to sustain life. That’s how the world is run up here. I’ve done it so much that that’s probably why I’ve aged about ten years more than I am.”

Lance looked up from the leg, still squeezing it lightly, “T-that sounds terrible! Honestly! Is that why you were here!? Were you going to commit suicide because they were starving you out?!” Lance screamed.

“I… I didn’t plan on committing suicide. I just ended up here. Maybe I thought water would fill me or something.”

Lance immediately dropped Shiro’s leg to start making various rapid hand motions.

“No! That’s a big no! You guys should have laws against that,” Lance said, pouting strangely, “there’s a lot of bad chemicals, I’m used to it because of the obvious. But as kids, we would get sick a lot due to the water. Our population is small, because rarely do babies survive the pressure of the water. I don’t want you getting hurt Shiro!” 

Shiro never knew how many Merpeople were alive, he hadn’t even thought of their birth rates, their population, nor how they evolved. Shiro shrugged his ignorance off, he wanted to learn more. Not only for himself but for Lance, who was doing more than enough to help Shiro. 

“I'll make sure to remember that, Lance.” Shiro smiled.

“Good!” Lance said.

A silence spread among them. Not sure of where to begin or where to end as they simply appreciated each others being in the moment. Shiro stared at the sky, the sky reflected on the rippling water, and the sky reflecting upon Lance’s face. Shiro wasn’t sure what was bubbling inside him, but knowing that he had barely known what life was outside of work, he was sure it was something common. It was common to find another person's smile endearing, to find his smooth and wet skin seductive, and his face very kissable. Right? 

“It’s getting pretty late.” Lance said, breaking the silence of Shiro’s mind. 

“Oh- yeah. You’re right.” Shiro said, looking around and away from Lance. 

“Do you have somewhere to be?” Lance said, quietly and uncharacteristically small.

Shiro’s heart twisted, it wasn’t as if he wanted to leave either, nor overcome the feeling that felt more heavy that a cargo holding meat, but he wasn’t sure of what to do. He needed to go to sleep, he needed to go back home, he needed to go to work tomorrow, and he wanted to be with Lance. Shiro bit his lip, his hand clenched as he stood up finally with aching feet. 

“I… I do. But will you be here? Still?” Shiro asked desperately.

“Yeah! A-are you going to come back?

“If you’re willing to have me. I may be blackout starved again.”

Lance beamed at Shiro’s connotation, splashing up a storm. As he wildly patted the water. 

“Of course! I’ll be here tomorrow, and the next day, and the next, any day! You better make good on your promise okay! I won’t like it if you ditch me! I’ll eat a whole feast by myself right here if I need to and only leave the peels for you to see!”

“Of course Lance, I wouldn’t want to miss you for the world.” Shiro let out before thinking. 

Shiro went red, turning towards the cut fence before Lance let out a small strained sentence, “I’ll be here! Even if I have to wait forever for you!” 

Shiro ducked under the wires and fell back on the worn trail back to concrete pavement. He could hear the splashing get farther and farther as he made his way back home. He didn’t fear the deep waters anymore, knowing what lay beneath the surface. He was ready to wave back to the curious eyes of Lance once he got to work. Shiro found himself already waiting for dawn to come.

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun and cute to write. I CAN WRITE FLUFFF!!


End file.
